Max Murphy and Dionne van Aalsum (UI)
Iowa Hawkeye Athletics Week in Review
Iowa student-athletes Max Murphy (men’s cross country) and Dionne van Aalsum (field hockey) were named September’s Student-Athletes of the Month, the Iowa Student-Athlete Advisory Committee announced.
Murphy, a junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, broke the school’s 6,000-meter program record by 13 seconds at the Hawkeye Invite on Sept. 1. His season-opening time of 17:57.7 earned him the individual championship and helped the Hawkeye men earn the team title. Murphy also placed 20th out of 147 runners at the Joe Piane Invite in South Bend, Ind. on Sept. 29.
Van Aalsum, a freshman midfielder, tallied and NCAA-best 18 goals and four assists in eight games in September. She also led the NCAA in goals per game (2.25), points (40) and points per game (5.00). The Castricum, Netherlands, native helped Iowa ascend to the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Van Aalsum had multi-goal games in six of seven contests, including four goals in two games (Central Michigan and UMass). Dating back to August, the freshman had eight consecutive multi-goal games to open her career.
She became the first Hawkeye to record a hat trick since Maddy Murphy vs. Indiana in 2019 and the first Hawkeye with four goals in a game since Kim Scraper vs. Brown in 2016. Van Aalsum secured multiple weekly honors, including the NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11 and Sept. 18, and the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 5 and Sept. 11.
FIELD HOCKEY
No. 5 Iowa dropped a pair of road matches this weekend. No. 9 Maryland took out the Hawkeyes, 4-1, on Friday. They fell at No. 16 Penn State, 2-1, on Sunday.
Against the Nittany Lions, Iowa sophomore Mia Magnotta recorded eight saves to Penn State’s 11. The Hawkeyes started off the scoring as senior Alex Wesneski found the back of the goal in the 14th minute assisted by freshman Miranda Jackson.
Junior Annika Herbine scored off a penalty corner in the 46th minute assisted by freshman van Aalsum to cut the Maryland lead to two on Friday. The Hawkeyes generated 13 shots.
SOCCER
The Hawkeyes earned a 1-1 tie at Michigan Thursday before falling at No. 16 Michigan State, 3-0, on Sunday. Iowa finished the regular season at 9-4-4 overall and 3-4-3 in the Big Ten play.
The Hawkeyes are Big Ten Tournament qualifiers, closing out the year eighth in the conference standings with 12 points. Iowa advances to the Big Ten Tournament for the 14th time in program history.
VOLLEYBALL
Iowa lost at Penn State, 3-0, on Friday and Maryland, 3-1, on Saturday.
Redshirt freshman Nataly Moravec led the way for the Hawkeyes against Maryland, posting 13 kills, a career-best five service aces, and a solo block. Fifth year Caitlan Buettner posted 11 kills with a clip of .423 and nine digs. Senior Bailey Ortega and freshman Kaia Mateo split the assists with 21 and 18, respectively.
Against Penn State, Ortega reached the 2,000 career-assists milestone, the 10th Hawkeye to ever do so. Redshirt senior Delaney McSweeney led the Hawkeyes with nine kills and a .444 clip. Buettner followed with eight kills, while tallying 10 digs.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Iowa senior guard Caitlin Clark was named to the 2024 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Watch List, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Monday. Clark won the award in 2022 and 2023.
The list is comprised of five student-athletes who are currently in the running for the 24th annual Nancy Lieberman Award that recognizes the best point guard in women’s basketball. The list is chosen based on their floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills.
The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 released on Tuesday. It tied the program’s highest preseason ranking. (1994)
The Hawkeyes have been ranked in the AP Preseason Top 10 in three consecutive seasons and for the sixth time in school history.
In the USA Today Coaches Poll, Iowa tabbed the No. 3 team the country. A year ago, Iowa was No. 6 in their preseason poll.
BASEBALL
The Gold team used a three-run fifth to rally and knock off the Black team, 5-4, in Wednesday’s seven-inning exhibition at Duane Banks Field. The win clinched the Black & Gold World Series for the Gold team.
Both left-handed starters dazzled on the mound with sophomore Cade Obermueller striking out seven batters in two and 2/3 innings for the Black team. The southpaw issued three walks and two hits, but only gave up one run. Freshman Elliot Cadieux-Lanoue worked three and 2/3 innings for the Gold team, allowing three runs on four hits.
Junior Connor Hennings began the scoring with an RBI single in the first to give the Black team a 1-0 lead. After a bases loaded walk to sophomore Gable Mitchell tied the game in the second, Hennings delivered again – this time with a two-run home run off the batter’s eye in center field.
The Hawkeyes have concluded their fall slate. Iowa opens its spring season at the Swig & Swine College Classic on Feb. 16 against Seton Hall in Charleston, South Carolina.
STUDENT TICKETS
Wednesday, Iowa announced a new student ticket model for select winter sports. UI students can purchase $5 single-game tickets to men’s basketball, women’s basketball and men’s wrestling for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
Student tickets will be available for purchase beginning Thursday, Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. (CT). UI students will be limited to one ticket per game/meet. Students must be currently enrolled and can purchase tickets through their student ticketing account at HawkeyeSports.com/StudentTickets.
Games/meets include all conference and non-conference events through the end of December. Spring semester games/meets will be released on Thursday, Dec. 7.
FOOTBALL HONORS
Iowa senior linebackers Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson have been named to the midseason watch list for the 2023 Rotary Lombardi Award, its committee announced on Tuesday.
Center Tyler Linderbaum was a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award in 2021 and defensive end Adrian Clayborn was a finalist in 2010. Other Hawkeyes who have been semifinalists include Campbell (2022), offensive lineman Brandon Scherff (2014), offensive lineman Robert Gallery (2003), defensive lineman Jared DeVries (1998), offensive lineman Mike Devlin (1992) and defensive lineman Jeff Drost (1986).
Four Hawkeye players were named to midseason All-America teams on Wednesday: senior defensive back Sebastian Castro, junior defensive back Cooper DeJean, senior linebacker Jay Higgins and senior punter Tory Taylor. DeJean, Higgins and Taylor were recognized by multiple outlets.
DeJean was recognized as a first team honoree by the Associated Press, The Athletic and FOX. He was named to ESPN’s first team on Tuesday.
GOLF
Iowa men’s golf concluded the fall season on Tuesday with the final round of the Fallen Oak Collegiate Invitational. Iowa placed 10th, finishing 894 (+30) after 54 holes at Fallen Oak Golf Course.
Junior Ian Meyer was the low finisher for the Hawkeyes at the tournament. Meyer tied for 23rd at 4-over par (220) after three rounds.Mac McClear was the next low finisher for Iowa. McClear carded a 73 (+1) during the tournament’s final round to jump seven spots to tie for 35th place.
WRESTLING
Seven Iowa wrestling duals will be televised on BTN during the 2023-24 season, it was announced Tuesday by the Big Ten Network.
Iowa’s BTN appearances include home duals against Minnesota (7 p.m. (CT)), Purdue (7 p.m.), Penn State (8 p.m.) and Wisconsin (1 p.m.) and road duals at Nebraska (6 p.m.), Illinois (8 p.m.) and Michigan (8 p.m.)
The duration of the Big Ten Championships, which will be held March 9-10 in College Park, Maryland, will also be televised on BTN.
The Iowa women’s wrestling team released the details of the 2023-24 season on Monday. The Hawkeyes will host two home duals inside of Carver Hawkeye Arena.
2023-24 Women’s Wrestling Schedule
Nov. 4 – at East Stroudsburg University – East Stroudsburg, Penn.
Nov. 5 – at Princeton Tiger Collegiate Open – Princeton, NJ
Nov. 12 – Home vs. Sacred Heart, Lindenwood and Presbyterian – Iowa City, Iowa
Nov. 17-18 – at Missouri Valley College Open – Marshall, MO
Dec. 10 – at North Central College Open – Naperville, Ill.
Dec. 17 – at Las Vegas Desert Duals – Las Vegas, Nev.
Dec. 29-30 – at Soldier Salute – Coralville, Iowa
Jan. 5-6 – National Duals – Cedar Falls, Iowa
Jan. 21 – Home Quad Duals (opponents TBA) – Iowa City, Iowa
Jan. 26-27 – at Indiana Tech Warrior Duals and Open – Fort Wayne, Ind.
Jan. 31 – at University of Sioux Falls – Sioux Falls. SD
Feb 23-24 – NCWWC Regionals – TBA
Mar. 8-9 – NCWWC National Championships – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
TRACK & FIELD
Iowa announced the 2023-24 indoor schedule on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes’ schedule features five home meets at the Hawkeye Indoor Track Facility.
Full Schedule
Dec. 2 – Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener (Boston, Mass.)
Dec. 9 – Jimmy Grant Alumni Invitational (Iowa City, Iowa)
Jan. 13 – Hawkeye Invitational (Iowa City, Iowa)
Jan. 19-20 – Larry Wieczorek Invitational & Multi (Iowa City, Iowa)
Jan. 27 – Black and Gold Invite (Iowa City, Iowa)
Feb. 2-3 – New Mexico Collegiate Classic (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Feb. 2-3 – Meyo Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Feb. 2-3 – Iowa State Classic (Ames, Iowa)
Feb. 9-10 – Tyson Invitational (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Feb. 9-10 – Texas Tech Invitational (Lubbock, Texas)
Feb. 9-10 – BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational (Boston, Mass.)
Feb. 9-10 – Wisconsin Windy City Invite (Chicago, Ill.)
Feb. 16 – Iowa Open (Iowa City, Iowa)
Feb. 16 – Matador Qualifier (Lubbock, Texas)
Feb. 16 – Arkansas Qualifier (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Feb. 17 – Alex Wilson Invitational (South Bend, Ind.)
Feb. 23-24 – Big Ten Indoor Championships (Geneva, Ohio)
Mar. 6-9 – NCAA Indoor Championships (Boston, Mass.)
